Recovery

Today I saw my friend who had a stroke back in mid-September. Because of my own surgery last week, I have not seen her in about 2 full weeks. Her progress since then is simply amazing.

They have removed her tracheostomy and PEG. She is eating, sitting up, and talking (albeit not as much as before). Oh how I have missed her side of the conversation. Her right side is still a mess (i.e. paralyzed & kind of flaccid), though she did wiggle her toes for me. She has no privacy as dozens of people like me come to see her each day. She is bored and frustrated. I figure these are all good things. She asked me whether I’d moved to an apartment yet. The last time she and I had coffee (before her stroke), we spoke of my impending divorce & my desire to move to an apartment downtown.

The best thing for me was that she seemed fundamentally herself, broken of course, but her mannerisms and personality traits that made her unique and special are still there. I feel so relieved and hopeful. I have missed her so much.